Bring Shaq back
In my mind there is one glaring weakness on the U.S. men's basketball roster ... they only have one big man, Dwight Howard. If he gets in foul trouble during a game, the Americans could be in trouble. I know that the international game is supposed to be more perimeter oriented, but still, an extra big man couldn't hurt.
I think the U.S. made a mistake by not adding one more center. They could have added Tyson Chandler, but he recently injured his toe, so it's now a moot point. The player Coach K and company should have added from the beginning is SHAQ.
Yes, I know, he declined an invitation back in 2004 to join the American team in Athens, and he might have declined overtures from Jerry Colangelo again over the last few years. Still, he is at a point in his career where the Olympic stage might be more intriguing. He would have been the perfect back-up for Howard, providing 10-15 minutes a game
The Phoenix center also would have provided a solid veteran presence to go along with Jason Kidd. Shaq helped lead the Americas to a gold medal in the '96 Games, and still provides an intimidating presence in the paint. Even at 36, no country would be able to prepare for his size.
Nobody loves the spotlight more than the big fella, he could have taken a lot of pressure off a young team. Plus, he would left us with a lot more strange Olympic raps, like this one ...
